I Have You
by Dwisiwi
Summary: Promises and hopes in holiday time, a Japril AU


Helo, I'm not sure I can get the routine in holiday correctly, pardon me if I'm mistaken.

Here a little something I have in mind, thank you for reading and please let me know what you think. :)

...

December 20,

April is standing in her living room, looking at her Christmas tree after finish decorating it, hands in her hip, big smile on her face. The tree is lit up beautifully, it's not the same as Kepner's tree back in her home in Moline but she is satisfied with the result, she loves it. It's not too much, a perfect match for her living room.

She might be a little late to start the festive, buying all the presents, buying and put all the decorations, the tree, but she's glad that she has someone to help her this time around.

With all the things that happened in this year she is thankful that everything falls into the right place right now. She ended her relationship with Matthew, it was sad but she need to be honest with herself and Matthew that whatever they were having it wasn't what she wants.

Days after that were hard too. Her works, her family, and people that won't stop talking and bickering behind her. She can't wait for Christmas to come and go back to her home in Moline. That was the reason why she booked her tickets to Moline in advance, because she couldn't take Seattle anymore, well at least on that time.

"Don't look so pleased with yourself. You should thank me too." Looking down, she chuckles.

"Have I not thanking you for everything you've been doing today?" she's asking back

He shrugs, "I don't know, you tell me.".

Looking back to the tree, she can't stop her smile tonight. She feels so happy. This time last year, she wasn't got to feel this happy. It was a crappy holiday. She allowed herself to be merry and jolly now, happiness doesn't come easily for her, she deserves this.

"You know, I'm starting to think that you are very happy to leave me." She holds the hand that suddenly draped around her waist from behind. Enjoying the heat that comes from the man standing behind her. "Don't take me wrong, I'm happy you're happy but.."

"Hey! We agreed not to talk about this unfortunate event." She cuts him. Slapping his arm.

"Why we celebrate this holiday separately? Tell me again." He asks, while kissing her neck.

Turning her face to look into Jackson's face behind her, she says,"because you and I already booked our tickets long time ago." Fully turning her body to face him, she put her arms in his shoulder, "even before you, Jackson Avery, had the courage to talk to me, ask me to be with you."

"How was it my fault now?" he asks, eyebrows up, annoyed face and all.

Rubbing the back of his shaved head, smiling sweetly at him, "I didn't say it was your fault, baby. That's why I said it was so unfortunate that you will spend the holiday in Boston, and I will go to Moline."

"I can go with you, I can cancel mine."

"Nope. Your mother called me the other day. She asked my help to make sure you go to Boston, no exception."

"Ugh." He groans and put his head down in her shoulder. "I can't believe you two ganging up on me."

"This is the first time you will going home after all these years. It's not her fault that she is so excited." She only hears another groan from Jackson. She continues, "Beside we will be back in 29. Before the new year. It's not that bad, right!"

Looking up again, he kisses her, "Alright, alright. it's not bad. Whatever makes you happy, sweetheart."

Jackson and April were back together just a little a month before Christmas. Being single made April happier and focus on her life. She could ignore all negativity around her, even her resentment toward her best friend's relationship (if she can call that resentment). While her relationship didn't work out, it didn't mean that she wanted his relationship to end too. She told this to him once and also she wanted to be honest with him because she wanted to have their friendship back. What she didn't know that his relationship was already over before that. Jackson just didn't know how to end it. He didn't have full commitment, he felt it, Steph felt it. They finally agreed that being together was not the right choice anymore.

When they back being best friends, no hard feeling, no resentment, they let their feelings free. It was like they were starting everything from beginning, they enjoyed the process, the pull and the push. Jackson asked her after one of their outings, trying to be cool about it but in fact he was super nervous. He told her about his feeling, his fear to lost her again, and told her that despite all the doubts he had he just wanted to be with her. Of course she said the same to him. They had the same feeling and same thinking, next thing to do was getting back together.

So here they are, having their first Christmas together, separately.

December 23,

April's flight to Moline and Jackson's flight to Boston are close, so they go to the airport together and split up there.

"I will be in this gate. You go to your gate." April says, letting go of Jackson's hand. Giving him his brave smile.

Dropping his sling bag at the top of his suitcase, he takes one of April's hand and put his other hand in her waist, "Ok. You have a save flight, call me when you land, if I don't pick that up yet you call me again when you arrive back home. I'll call you when I land too." Holding her closer, he kisses her slow and passionate.

When he let go her hand and start to walk, April takes him back and hold him tight. "No, this is wrong. Can I come with you instead? To Boston?" She says in his ear, and tries to hold her cry.

Rubbing his hand in the back of hear head, he says, "Don't do this. We can do it. It's just couple days. We'll be back here on 29th." He kisses her forehead

"We finally together Jackson. We work together, we see each other every day. And at night, you'll stay at mine or I'll stay at yours. I'll miss you." She says it to him

"I'll miss you too. I'll miss the hell out of you, April." Shaking his head, shows the emotion behind his words. "But we are together now. Like you said. I go to Boston, you go to Moline, we'll be back here before you know it. And we're never be apart again. I promise. We're never be apart you will be bored with me."

That got him April's laugh. "There you are. I will be missing you for this couple days, don't leave me with your cry or your sad face, pleaseee.." Jackson gives her his best puppy face while helping her wiping her tears

"Alriight." Shaking her head and laughing for his antics. "But I will never be bored with you, remember that. You and your dirty sense of everything." April takes some breath and gives Jackson her biggest smile. "Happy?"

"Off course I'm happy. I have you. Oh and by the way April, this is the first and the last time we spend our holiday apart."

Nodding, she says, "Aww you sweet sweet man, Jackson Avery." She hugs him tight and kisses him once again. Soaking him up before they apart.

December 24, most recent time

Before she went to midnight mass last year, she was a mess. Because she needed to drop Harriet to Jackson first, let them have Christmas night together before Jackson drove Harriet back to her in the morning to celebrate Christmas with her. What kind of Christmas was that.

Not only that, all those promises she had with Jackson, none of them coming true. They didn't have each other, they didn't spend their holiday together. Even though they have Harriet, they didn't spend time together, as three. They split time.

But now seeing Harriet sleeping soundly in her own bed, she can help but pray to God, thanking him for everything she gets this year. She doesn't need to split her time with Harriet anymore.

April closes Harriet's door, left it ajar then walks to her own room because she hears something there. Leaning up in the doorway, she says, "What are you doing mister? I told you to wait for me in the tree."

Jackson looks up from his position, kneeling in the side of their bed, taking something from below the bed. "I take this first, I'm hiding something here."

"Ok. Meet you at the tree." She walks down stair to where the Kepner-Avery Christmas tree is located.

The tree is similar with the one April had in her apartment all those years back. But this tree has much more lights and ornaments. Boxes of presents below it, compare to her previous trees that had less of presents. She always has a thing with Christmas tree, she loves Christmas tree in general, but their tree this year is something she loves so much. So many stories and meaning behind it.

"You always have a thing for a tree, don't you? You want us to do a little something like we did this morning under the tree before we put these boxes, babe?" Jackson asks April, coming down from their bedroom bringing much more boxes down.

Slapping his shoulder when Jackson walks by her, she gasps at him, "hush! You ruin my moment." She says

"Ouch. No need to harm me." Rubbing his shoulder where April just slap him, faking the hurt.

"Ohh now you hurting. What happen with the tough Jackson from this morning? He gone? Hmm?" teases April back, crossing her arms in her chest. Looking to Jackson with so many little boxes in his arms.

"Nah. He's here." He says. "Don't you see this is me, tough Jackson bringing down so many boxes in one time"

"Whatever, babe." April says, back to her previous activity, mesmerizing their tree

"Do you want to arrange these boxes?" Jackson asks after putting all the boxes near by the tree. He is now sitting down on the floor.

"Yes!" She answers excitedly. Clapping her hands and April starts working, arranging the boxes below the tree. She puts the boxes that not belong to either Jackson or Harriet or herself after the boxes that belong to them.

Jackson can't believe what happened this year. He started this year with alone in his place, missing Harriet and April, hate that he passed another holiday separately without the two people in this world he loves the most. And ending this year, arranging presents with this girl, the girl he always loves. Whatever she does now, grumbles about how he spends so much for Harriet and herself by buying expensive things, about their schedules tomorrow hosting their first ever Christmas party together, he doesn't care. All he cares about is he doesn't need to be apart with April anymore, and their baby daughter too.

"Jackson?" Feeling April's hand in his face, her beautiful face very close to his face. "What is it? Are you ok?" she asks

"Yeah. I'm ok, I have you." Taking her hand, he kissed it before he puts in his chest.


End file.
